Direct synthesis and bonding origins of monolayer-protected silver nanocrystals from silver nitrate through in situ ligand exchange.

In this study, we attempt to present a direct synthesis of narrowly dispersed silver nanoparticles in a highly concentrated organic phase (>2 M) without the use of a size-selection process. The fully organic phase system contains silver nitrate as a silver precursor, n-butylamine as a medium dissolving the silver salt, dodecanoic acid as a capping molecule, toluene as a medium, and NaBH4 as a reducing reagent. Even using only generic chemicals, monodisperse silver nanocrystals with a size of 7 nm were easily synthesized on the 100-g scale in a 1-L reactor. In addition, systematic studies revealed that the silver nanocrystals synthesized through in situ ligand exchange were stabilized through bidentate bridging of carboxyl groups in dodecanoic acid.